The earliest origins of the family name Chafint date back to the Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It was a name given to a bald man. The surname Chafint is a diminutive derived from the Old French words chauf and cauf, which both mean bald. This is ultimately derived from the Latin word calvus, which has the same meaning. The words chauf and cauf are supplemented by the suffixes in or on, which have several variations and are two of the most common diminutive suffixes.

Chafint Early Origins

The surname Chafint was first found in Dorset where branches of the family were found in Chettle and Folke. Chettle dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Ceotel and probably was derived from the Old English word ceotel, meaning "deep valley." Folke dates back to 1244 where it was derived from the Old English word folc, which meant people, as in "land held by the people." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)

Chafint Spelling Variations

Chafint Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Chafint include Chaffin, Chaffinch, Caffin and others.

Chafint Early History

Chafint Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chafint research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1627, 1628 and 1714 are included under the topic Early Chafint History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chafint Early Notables (pre 1700)

Chafint Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chafint Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: John Chaffinch who settled in Connecticut in 1630; Daniel Chaffin arrived in Barbados in 1680 with his wife and servants; Fortune Chaffin arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1827..

The Chafint Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Chafint Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.